48 User Reviews of Maasdam Cruise Ship

Prior to embarkation: We were picked up by an unusually
looooooong limo about 5:15 a.m. for our hour-long trip to the
airport. We had made our own flight arrangements, so we had control
over departure and layover times. Despite a light rain, our flight
and the connecting flight in Atlanta took off on time. We arrived
in Ft. Lauderdale at about 11:30, checked that our luggage went to
the ship instead of the carousel, and jumped in a cab. Ten minutes
later we were at the pier and had our first glimpse of the
Maasdam.

Embarkation: We were in line about two minutes, got our boarding
number (15) and went inside the terminal. While we waited we had a
chance to talk to some other passengers and share some of our
secrets. Steiner had a table set up with literature on their
services, and we had time to talk to the reps and arrange
appointments. Our number was called about 1:15 and we were escorted
to our cabin, where we found half of our luggage had already been
delivered. We grabbed the excursion list and headed to the Lido
with our friends

for the Embarkation Luncheon.

Cabin: Our outside deluxe cabin, category D-581, on the Main
deck, amidships, was large and very comfortable. We had the two
twin beds set up as a queen with a small nightstand on either side
and window over the beds, and the sleeping area was set aside by a
decorative curtain. The sofa, chair and adjustable coffee table
made a nice sitting area, and the mirror, dressing table, closets
and drawers were very generous. Although there was plenty of closet
space, we stored the luggage under the beds. The bathroom was large
enough for two :-) but we were very disappointed in the storage
space. There was no cabinet or shelf under the sink; only one
narrow shelf under the mirror which was not enough for the stuff
two people need in the bathroom. The bathtub was also a shower with
a shower wand that was adjustable in height to accommodate children
or ladies who don't want to get their hair wet. Air conditioning
was fully adjustable and we could hear nothing from the hall or
adjacent cabins.

Ship facilities: The ship is very clean and well-maintained. All
public rooms are easily accessible, and beautifully decorated with
fine art and fresh flowers. The Lower Promenade offers a wraparound
deck for you purists ;-)

Pools: Both pools were spacious and easy to access. The Lido
pool and jacuzzis, having tables under roof, was more a place for
lounging, eating and visiting, whereas the aft pool (Nav deck) was
more for hard-core sunworshippers like me. The only games I saw
were at the aft pool.

Movies: The Wajang Theater (popcorn and Cappuccino available
next door at the Java Cafe) showed "Pay it Forward", "Lucky
Numbers", "Meet the Parents", "The Sixth Day" and "Space Cowboys".
Funny odor in there, though.

Dining Room : The Rotterdam Dining Room is a spacious and
attractive bi-level room, offering a variety of seating
arrangements. A variety of menus was available; the food was very
good, and the main seating service in the non-smoking section was
excellent.

Buffet: Lido Restaurant served meals cafeteria-style, which is
not as elegant as your classic buffets, but the variety and quality
of the food makes up for it. The line was broken up a bit into
different sections for the traditional meal and the specialty
entrees and desserts. There is so much food on the buffet, you'll
certainly find something you like. Since they no longer provide a
menu for this buffet, I walked ahead and peeked at the food (they
even had prime ribs one day, which was excellent for a buffet item)
before I started loading up.

Room Service: We didn't use it this time for either a meal or a
snack. We always use the doorknob card you fill out at night that
will get you coffee, juices, fruit, yogurt, pastries, eggs, meats
or cereals any time from 6:30 to 10:30 the following morning. That
gives you time to make yourself presentable for the "real"
breakfast in the dining room or Lido.

Rembrandt Lounge Showroom: Seating is more than adequate, with a
good view for everyone, even in the balcony. Here there are a few
obstructed views, but nothing bad. Overall, the entertainment was
quite varied and professional.

Shops: New on this ship was the Ten-Dollar Store, offering a
variety of jewelry, writing instruments, sunglasses, watches and
pashminas. There was also one for clothing and souvenirs, one for
jewelry and perfumes/cosmetics and a duty-free shop offering liquor
(they even had a tasting table). Daily specials such as rings,
watches, gold and silver by the inch and leather goods were listed
in the Daily Program. All were adequately stocked and offered good
values.

Casino: This one is rather small by comparison to others on
ships this size, but it was never crowded. The only crap table was
not only uncrowded (they usually are) but one night it was even
closed for lack of interest.

Excursions: In your cabin you will find a Planning/Order Form
indicating the details of the available excursions. Warning 1: Some
of these have very limited space and sell out very fast and are
assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is a trip
you absolutely must take, sign up now! You can order it right away
by filling out this form and placing it in the drop box at the
excursion desk. Warning 2: If you want to go with someone in
another cabin, put the request for all tickets on one cabin's
order. We split our order and only two of us got to do the Swimming
with the Dolphins :-( You can take another form to be filled out
later for other requests. A Shore Excursion video played
continuously on the stateroom TV regarding available port
activities. There were about 40 shore excursions on the list (not
including the beach toys available at Half Moon Cay)... plenty from
which to choose. American currency is welcome everywhere. Take
small bills and change.

Nassau: This was a short stop from 7 a.m. to noon, and nine
excursions were offered. We did stop at the straw market where even
Jim bought a few things! I have the photo to prove it!

San Juan: This was the longest stop of the cruise, from 9 a.m.
to Midnight. There were ten excursions offered, but we chose to
visit El Morro on our own. This is a short cab ride from the dock,
meandering through Old San Juan to the other side of the island.
This is a gorgeous old fort with many levels offering breathtaking
views. I was impressed with the series of aerial maps showing the
development of the island over the last few hundred years.

St. John/St. Thomas: We stopped here from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
which is plenty of time to do one or two of the twenty excursions
that were offered. We chose the helicopter tour (put the order on
one ticket this time). We were in the air for about 20 minutes and
had the absolute best views of some of the most beautiful beaches
as well as areas that have yet to be rebuilt due to hurricane
damage. We also went to the top of the Paradise Point Tramway ($12
each) which also afforded great views of the ships in the harbor
and downtown Charlotte Amalie. You can stop and relax with a
refreshing snack and watch the tropical bird show. We had been
there before, but needed to buy a mate for our Wild Man (who turned
out to be a Wild Woman, but that's another story...). Sure enough,
in the same store, on the same shelf, was a whole family of Wild
Ones.

Half Moon Cay: We tendered to this pristine island about 8 a.m.
and stayed until they dragged me out of the ocean (kicking and
screaming) at 3 p.m. Although there is a gift shop and small straw
market , they're only a convenience. Don't expect what you saw in
Nassau. Here you can enjoy a frozen tropical drink at one of the
bars, have some refreshing ice cream or have your hair braided. The
tram will take you up to the Island Picnic, which is served from
11:30 to 1:30 and is simple but delicious. On the beach, you can
enjoy snorkeling, SCUBA, parasailing, banana boat rides,
catamarans, sailboats, windsurfing, aqua cycles, glass bottom boat,
golf chipping or kayaking. We simply rented floating mattresses and
floated for a couple of hours. Paradise. Great tan. If you'd rather
sit on the beach, lounge chairs are available and you can sip a
cool one served by a beach steward. On the sports courts, you'll
find shuffleboard and volleyball, and closer to the beach there are
tents set up for private beachside massages. As you wander this
little island there are misting stations you can step into for a
refreshing shower.

Ship Activities: Each day we received a Daily Program listing
all planned activities, meals, movies, etc. This is most helpful
when there is so much to do! The Times Fax (from the pages of The
New York Times) and CNN brought us up to date on the real world.
Production shows, bingo (although pricey), horse racing,
volleyball, ping-pong, water games, newlywed game, ice sculpting
demos, golf or ping-pong tournaments, dance lessons, gambling,
dancing, even daily AA meetings are available to fill your
time.

Staff: We were fortunate to have Susan Wood as our Cruise
Director. Susan began her career at sea as a dance instructor
(which might explain her energy level). She now has the distinction
of being the first female Cruise Director in the HAL fleet. She is
energetic and very outgoing; knowledgeable, organized, personable
and accessible. It seems she was everywhere (except on debarkation
day, when I really needed a photo for this review). Susan will be
moving to the m.s. Amsterdam in September, 2001.

Toto, our cabin steward, was very good. He brought us breakfast
each morning, filled the ice bucket and kept our cabin neat and
clean all day.

Hasan, our Rotterdam Dining Room waiter, and Agung, his
assistant, were attentive and handled our special requests
cheerfully. This is the first time a Dining Room Supervisor (Yusuf)
was so attentive. His funny jokes made our dining experience
special. Didiet, our wine steward was prompt and his suggestions
most helpful.

Passengers: Average age looked to be about 45-50. If there were
any children aboard, they were invisible.

Motion: We were lucky to have calm seas all week. The
stabilizers made the entire trip smooth and comfortable. The
slightly perceptible motion was just enough to rock you to sleep at
night.

Disembarkation: Non-U.S. Citizens were required to report to
Immigration very early, but we were able to have coffee and
pastries in our cabin, then go to the lounge to check in at the
airline. Delta and U.S. Air have representatives onboard to check
your passports (all travelers in your group must be present) and
issue you bar-coded luggage tags in a sealed envelope. We were in
this line over an hour, and it was very frustrating. They should
have had more airline reps for this to work smoothly. We were off
the ship at about 9:00, found our luggage in the "warehouse" (the
colored tag system moves passengers in shifts to avoid crowding),
had a redcap cart them to the Delta truck where the bar-coded tags
were attached to our bags, got in a cab and were at the airport in
record time; two hours ahead of flight time. Note: when you debark
and find your luggage, you can transfer most of your overnight
stuff to your luggage so you won't have to carry so much.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you this was the best cruise ever.
We will be HAL cruisers for many more years to come.

Eastern Seaboard, out of Fort Lauderdale to Montréal
Canada, early May, 2008.

This was my 15th Holland America cruise I imagine the weather in
the fall is quite similar to that in May.

The Maasdam was built 1993 and is one of four in the Statendam
class. It can accommodate roughly 1,266 passengers after refitting,
and weighs about 55,451 tons. The Atrium consists of a very
tasteful 3-story sculpture of cube-shaped glass, designed by
Luciano Vistosi. The cabin I was in was 725 Starboard, forward, on
the Main deck (A).; the couple I was with were on the Verandah deck
(without a verandah!) in cabin 100, Port, as far forward as you can
go. The Maasdam has, along with the other S Class ships, been
refitted with new bedding, etc. The former Erasmus Library has been
annexed to one of the rooms beside it, and another room which was
used for the internet, to form a newer and better internet centre
and library.

We flew down a day early, from Ottawa, Canada, to Detroit and
then Fort Lauderdale, which was uneventful, and did not use the
hotel to ship packages, taking a cab

from Pier 66. Embarkation was the smoothest of all the cruises that
I have been on, and only took 25 minutes. Part of this is that if
you complete all of the on-line forms ahead of time (bringing
printed duplicates to discard later in case of computer failure,
etc.), there is no paperwork to fill out at embarkation except a
short health questionnaire.

After a day at sea, the first port was Charleston, South
Carolina, where we saw some of the old mansions on the Kingdom by
the Sea tour. New London, Connecticut after another sea day, was
where we took the Essex Steam Train tour, followed the next day by
Cliff Walk & the Breakers tour in Newport, Rhode Island, which
was slightly altered owing to weather. After a sea day, amid
interesting North Atlantic seas, we hit Barr Harbor, Maine, and
over the next three days, the ports of Halifax and Sydney, Nova
Scotia, and Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. In each of these
ports we went to eat lobster, for the last time on the
Dalvey-by-the-Sea tour where it is served cold (which allows it to
be snapped out of the shell easier), and where the guide showed
everyone (spectacularly) how to properly break up a lobster to eat
by hand, and, nearby a lobster fisherman explained his trade. After
another day at sea, we passed the Saguenay Fjord in the St.
Lawrence but were too late to enter it to see much of anything, and
docked at Quebec where we wandered around the walled city; the next
day we docked at Montréal. In Quebec preparations are under
way for the 400th anniversary of Quebec.

This was a repositioning cruise, the first of the season. There
are to be future ones in June, but from Boston to Montréal
and vice-versa, before the Maasdam sails to Europe in July. Other
versions of this cruise may take place in August out of Boston and
HAL's latest ship, the Eurodam will be making trips to Quebec City
from New York; the Maasdam will make one trip from Montréal
to Ft. Lauderdale in the fall.

The couple I was with did not take a verandah because of the
time of year. There were many passengers not suitably dressed for
May in the North Atlantic. Cruising at this time of year is a
little strange, since we are used to warmer Caribbean destinations.
I went swimming from Fort Lauderdale until just after Charleston,
when the outside temperature was too cool to use the outside aft
lido pool. Except at Newport, the skies were clear, but
temperatures started to drop, the coldest being in Sydney where it
was about 4C I used long underwear twice on this cruise. There were
some rough seas as well, for even though we were in the lee of the
Gulf of Maine or the South Shore of Nova Scotia for part of the
time, winds got to force 9+ on the Beaufort Scale; there were a lot
of people sea-sick.

There was a new dinner arrangement on the Maasdam. There was the
traditional late-seating arrangement on the upper level of the
Rotterdam dining room, but on the lower level, there was a form of
free-style seating for which you had to make some type of
reservations (I never did figure it out, neither did some of the
passengers used to completely free-style dining on some cruise
lines). We chose the more traditional setting. Parts of the Lido
are also open for dinner. Service was good, but there seem to be
issues of timeliness which are not of the waiters' making. For
example, when the staff is called off to do the Baked Alaska parade
or the Chef's dinner which also involves staff doing other
activities, there's a back-up. Our wine steward knew what she was
doing and was quite helpful. The Maasdam, like all of the
"Statendam" class ships, lacks access to the lower dining room from
along the Promenade Deck (owing to the kitchen filling up the
entire deck), which can be a minor inconvenience.

The Pinnacle restaurant is a later addition to all of the
Statendam class of ships, being constructed by removing several of
the public rooms and building it in. The Pinnacle is available for
lunch as well as dinner, and the sirloin is as good as the Alberta
A beef which used to be served on all the HAL ships. People with
verandahs can eat breakfast free in the Pinnacle and there are some
other perks relating to the restaurant.

The pools were well maintained. The Lido indoor pool (with the
sliding roof) is chlorinated, while the aft outdoor pool has a
slight salt content and less chlorine (which I prefer). This is
new. The pools are not as warm as they used to be, but that is
because of not wanting to help spread disease. The inside pool had
to be completely drained for part of the cruise, as the seas were
so rough.

In HAL's more recent ships, the Ocean bar is less of a focal
point of the ship, but that is not the case with the four S class
ones. Unfortunately the art auctioneers take up too much space when
running the auctions. Many found the Crow's Nest awkward during
rough seas because it so very high up.

There were two wine tastings -- one free which did take place --
and one which had a cost, but which had to be cancelled because of
a lack of attendees.

Easy and fast check-in and boarding. This ship is elegant and
spacious.

The service is exquisite. There was no part of the cruise that
did not rate as excellent.

The food in the restaurant was wonderful, and our dining steward
was just as great. He knew what we liked and made us feel special
every evening.

The ship is immaculate. The crew all spoke to us whether we were
in a hallway, elevator, etc. The captain had a lovely Mariner's
brunch.

My husband and I were impressed with everything about this
cruise.

We most definitely will book another cruise aboard this ship.
Holland America is the best line and the Maasdam exemplifies the
elegance, service, and cuisine that makes this cruise line stand
above the rest.

This was our ninth cruise, second with Holland America. We were
disappointed with the Maasdam. We had no hot water for most of the
cruise, and rusty water after they attempted to fix the problem.
Many cabins were without air conditioning. We were very surprised
at the condition of the ship as it is rated 4.5 stars. Although the
interior design on the ship is good and comfortable, the plumbing
and air conditioning are in need of replacement.

On the bright side, the food was good and the service was
excellent. The buffets were better than Princess. Due to the
condition of the ship, we will not cruise on the Maasdam again.

After a dozen cruises on several different lines, my wife and I
took our first HAL cruise.

Simply put, it was fantastic. From the minute we stepped on
board and the room steward knew our names, to the staff carrying
trays at the poolside display, to the wine steward at dinner who
knew everyone's favorite drink, the service was extrodanaire!

The food, in both the buffet and the main dining room was top
notch. Ice cream (several flavors), no sugar desserts, and a
variety of fresh burgers were available all afternoon.

I won't repeat each port's excursion, but I would note there was
a very nice variety ranging from sea kayaking to individualized
tours of the Fortress of Louisberg. In spite of HAL's demographics,
the cruise should actually appeal to parents (or grandparents) of
children between 8 and 16 who would enjoy something other than a
caribbean beach.

One final first for us: This is the first cruise that so
impressed us that we've already reserved next summer's
vacation!

Where to begin ? - This cruise was aimed at anyone over the age
of 75 - so being in my early 40's this came as a massive shock
(disembarkation in Montreal there were 75 wheelchairs) The food,
entertainment, library, drinks etc - all aimed at the retirement
market.

The ship was tatty and in need of painting, refurnishing and a
really good clean.

The staff (mainly Indonesian) should be taught a conversational
command of English (that way they could understand dietry
requirements a little better - try explaining to someone who
doesn't speak English why a Jew cannot eat pork and expect to
receive a meal not containing any pork products -not easy).

Our cabin steward was very poor - cabin dirty from previous
occupants (hair in the bath and empty soda cans under the bed!!)
and in the two weeks we were on board, the room was not dusted - we
complained to the front desk without success.

We had the pleasure to sail on the Maasdam on the 11 day
Southern Caribbean itinerary from Norfolk on the November 8th
sailing. As I have not sailed with Holland America since 1995, I
was looking forward to this cruise and to experience their
Signature of Excellence upgrades. In a few words, I really enjoyed
the upgrades, the Maasdam and the Holland America experience.

The Maasdam though a smaller ship, just under 56,000 tons and
came into service in 1993 is looking fabulous. This ship and it's
staff was wonderful. The public rooms are classy and the expanded
Explorer's lounge and library was a wonderful place to mingle, play
board games (scrabble in particular), to jigsaw puzzles, check
emails, etc. They also have a specialty coffee shop in that same
vicinity. By the way, you still can get cappuccino's and espresso
in the dining room free.

It's been a long while since I booked an inside cabin, but was
very pleased with the spaciousness. We had four in our cabin and
had plenty of cabin and drawer space. The stateroom had two lower
beds, a couch which made into a bed and

a bed that recessed out of the ceiling. The bathroom was typical
size and during the ships refurbishment must have been re-tiled. It
was clean and actually two people could use the mirror area at the
same time. We were on Deck 5 main deck. The cabin had a 20-in flat
screen TV and DVD player which they had an entire library of DVD
rentals or you could play the one's you may have brought with you.
Cost on the DVD rentals was $3.00 and I believe you could keep them
two days, we were too busy to rent DVD's, but a nice offering. The
upgraded bed, linens and bath linens and amenities were welcomed.
It was one of the most comfortable beds I have slept in on a cruise
ship ever. My cruise on the Diamond Princess, (Princess -
considered a mass market line) in January will really have a lot to
lived up to in this area. Our cabin steward and staff was very
efficient. We never left the cabin not to have the cabin made up or
turned down for the evening completed.

As this cruise was booked about a month before sailing, we were
confirmed for late seating dining. The Maasdam has staggered dining
times, 5:45p, 6:15p, 8:00p and 8:30p. Yes, you guessed it we had
8:30p. We tried to change it without luck. In talking with other
passengers, there were folks who had booked over 6 months out and
couldn't clear an early seating. We dined only once in the evening
at 8:30p as my 9 and 13 year old was missing here nightly program.
The next few days we ate in the Lido. After missing 3 nights in our
dining room, we received a phone call from the Ass't Maitre 'D, Kuz
asking why we weren't coming to the dining room. After explaining
to him that it was too late for the children, he said to come at
5:45p the next day and he would tried to fit us in and indeed he
did. We were able to eat early on a rotating table situation which
was better than eating every night in the Lido as the dining room
experience was very good. Though we didn't get to have the
comradery you would have with the same wait staff, we did find good
service with the various tables. We had very good wait service and
Kuz check on us several times every evening. He really took care of
us and I am glad that we didn't miss out on the dining room
experience. The meals were presented nicely on the plate and in
average to smaller portion sizes. The food overall was very good. I
found the desserts to be average and often had ice cream. The fresh
ice cream and soft serve along with sundae fixings in the Lido was
great and also complimentary. We also enjoyed the complimentary
pop-corn in the movie theatre. Nice touches and most appreciated.
They often had live music during dinner which was very nice. We
typically ate on the 2nd floor of the Rotterdam dining room, which
I preferred over the main floor. On the 5th night out we ate at the
grill. We really enjoyed it but found it to be one of the more
expensive optional dining at $30.00 pp. Service was attentive and
the decor in the Grill was modern/clean. The menu was Pacific
Northwest themed. As I had been on a fish marathon, I had the Filet
Mignon which was excellent. If you are celebrating a special
occasion, it is worth the cost and the intimate atmosphere.

The crew/staff on this ship was excellent. We had many crew
members in various positions that we conversed with daily. We gave
many tips to folks we normally wouldn't have given to due to their
friendliness and attentiveness. We got to know all of the Cruise
Director/Staff quite well and had lots of fun with them also. There
is much to be said in sailing on this size ship. You have a better
opportunity to meet fellow passengers and crew daily. We got to
know the bathroom attendant another nice touch with cloth towels to
dry your hands. It's the little things that make a great cruise,
though small, but nice. Again, we found the crew very happy to
comply to your requests, for example the first night out was pretty
choppy and my 9 year old was it the top bunk and rolling all over
her bed. I asked it there was a bar of some sort for the bed so she
wouldn't roll out of the bed onto the floor. They had the
maintenance department come to the room and look and listen to my
request. They made a padded upholstered bar and it was in the room
for use the next day. I was impressed with their need to please. It
worked great.

The stage productions shows and cabaret entertainment were
typical of cruise line's fare. The lounge acts were typical evening
entertainment on cruise lines. We went to the Crow's Nest disco
late in the cruise and had fun. We probably would have gone more
had we gone sooner. The younger cruisers seemed to congregate here
in the evenings. Yes, I would say the average age was 68 or so, but
this did not really bother us being younger ones on the ship. You
make your good times. We participated frequently with shipboard
events such as Volleyball, trivia games, etc and collected "Dam
Dollars" which we turned in at the end of the cruise for "Dam
Sweatshirts" and nice "Dam Water Bottles. The gave away nice prices
for the events that didn't give "Dam Dollars". We came home with
key chains, hats, mugs, luggage tags, "Dam Dark" mini-mag lights,
etc. I will say that there was plenty of stuff to do onboard the
ship when in port. I really liked this as often most Cruise
Director's plan nothing on the ship while in port. Other lines
could take a lesson here. When you have been on the islands before,
the ship really becomes your destination. We really enjoy our days
at sea which were crammed pack with things to do or not to do. The
culinary program which is help in the theatre was very enjoyable
and samples of the items prepared were giving to all in attendance.
They also had a towel animal demo which was fun. When we asked it
they had the instructions on paper, they were only too happy to
have picture instructions delivery to the cabin for those who
requested them. The casino was one of the smaller ones I have
experienced on the ship, but was a good size considering the size
of the ship. The casino personnel was excellent, one of the best I
have encountered. We never made it to the Greenhouse Spa which I
heard good things about and normally a place that I visit and get a
treatment at least once.

The ports were: Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados,
St. Kitts, San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had never been to Dominica and
really enjoyed the island and the people were very friendly. We
took a tour to the Emerald Pool which was a nice tour. You really
appreciate the drivers in Dominica as the roads are often narrow.
In Half Moon Cay we swam with the Stingrays. They are much smaller
than the ones in Grand Cayman and they come to this area daily and
are netted in and released at the end of the day, thus you don't
have to worry about other predators in the water with you. In
Barbados, we snorkeled at Carlisle Bay. Nice dive sites with a
couple of sunken ships. The boat staff was excellent, the water was
really clear and warm. On the way back the skies open up and we
were drenched. No worries, as we were already wet from snorkeling.
LOL

Embarkation and Debarkation were a breeze, though they are still
working on the pier area in Norfolk, still a lot of temporary
structures. We asked for a later departure of the ship, they allow
you to stay in your cabins. We were off the ship and at the airport
by 9:15a. We took a cab to and from the airport. The cost was $24
-$26 dollars each way for 4 vs. $28.00 pp to use the Holland
America bus transfers. We stood-by for earlier flights and got home
a few hours earlier than our ticketed times.

Between October 28 and November 3, 2006 my wife and cruised out
of Norfolk on Holland Americas "Maasdam" This was our first cruise
on Holland and on the Maasdam. We chose the ship because it was
very near to our home and travel distance was 3 ½ hours to
the port vs. 13 to Bayonne or Fort Lauderdale or even Tampa.

The Maasdam is an old ship constructed in 1993 and apparently
never renovated. Major systems such as air conditioning, plumbing,
toilets, whirl pools and pools, electrical systems, stabilizers and
even engines appear to have suffered profound neglect. Facilities
for children appear very Spartan, although some limited activities
are done poolside. Room amenities such as an umbrella or shopping
tot do not exist. The cooking staff and management are arrogant and
non-responsive to the many problems that exist. No real flexibility
exists in dining menus, the food is just fair, the baked goods are
dry and tasteless and their "Pinnacle Grill" has poor fare, is no
value, a waste of time and certainly money. Honestly the "Golden
Corral" family restaurant has better overall food, selections and
buffet. Daily activities and music are

extremely limited. Evening entertainment ranges from good to hokey.
The nightclubs are out of touch with the clientele whose average
age is about 68+. That also is the general age of all the ship's
cruising populous. The DJ is not sensitive to this fact and plays
"the hustle and 80s and 90s rock consistently. In the Crows Nest
Bar, it seems that 5 or 6 of the activities staff are forever
present and their only function appears to be drinking, flirting
and dancing among themselves. This includes the DJ. These
activities do not look professional and perceptions are realities.
This ship and line seems to be on a cost cutting binge. For example
smoking is allowed aboard the ship, but it is impossible to find a
match. The staff and bartenders say "It's because of 9/11!", but
they DO sell $3.00 propane lighters and propane lighters can also
be more problematic. Perhaps not giving out matches cuts costs. The
Holland standardized tipping policy is hideous. Many travelers
refuse to abide by it and opt out. Deserving individuals given tips
are forced to forfeit them to the general "pool" under threat of
firing. A disgusting policy!

I have read the Maasdam reviews and I will tell you here and now
they were done by management. We have been cruising twice a year
since 1996. Generally we have traveled on Celebrity and Royal
Caribbean ships. This journey on the Holland line and the Maasdam
was an experiment. As it turned out, one NEVER to be repeated. This
was the worst cruise we ever had without exception. There wasn't a
single item or event that we could reference that would sway our
opinion. Our cruise was not pleasant nor fun nor comfortable and a
very poor overall value. We would never recommend this line or ship
to anyone.

Dining The Liddo Café is located on the 11th floor
adjacent to the "covered" pool. This is the buffet restaurant. It
is organized somewhat oddly. The serving lines, starboard and port
are each arranged in sections (i.e. Breads, starters, Asian,
Italian, entrees, sandwiches and finally soups and salads.) This is
an indication of the similar fare served each day. The arrangement
is not at all conducive to speedy service. As people wait for
certain items and the server is busy somewhere else (this is the
rule rather than the exception), the lines back up and the wait
time to be served increases proportionately. This situation is
painfully evident during the breakfast hours. At breakfast a
section is setup that just does fried and boiled eggs, another just
pancakes and French toast, another just omelets. This poises real
logistic problems for passengers in the line trying to get toast,
scrambled eggs, bacon or sausages and then move on and out, but CAN
NOT since the line is constantly backed up with people wanting eggs
done their way. Passengers do not move past the holdups for fear of
"skipping in line". Perhaps a REAL egg station would correct the
traffic jams. Incidentally on most days, at 9:20AM or so, the
servers run out of French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and turkey
sausage. Then the lines really back up until more is made. The
server staff behind the buffet is always one short and that creates
the problem that you just can't get served. So you wait and
wait.

If you desire waffles or baked goods, there is a separate line
that also serves iced creams. The waffles are tasteless, often
served broken, there are no fresh or frozen berries only terribly
sweet jams (two types). The pastries are terrible. They are dry!
When I asked why, I was told it was because of the high humidity, a
ludicrous excuse. Another person said it was because much of the
baked goods were made off the ship. Breads and rolls were just as
bad. Overall a very unsatisfying, confusing and frustrating way to
start the day.

Incidentally there was no corned beef hash and people
complained, the steam tables and heat lamps used to keep the food
warm, did a terrible job! You can't pour your own juices and,
although they serve five or six types and guess at what is in those
glasses. Even the ice machines in the Liddo Café are so
difficult to operate that a bus boy needs to get you the ice. The
ice machines use an infra red sensor that only delivers ice if you
wave you hand behind the glass to be filled. The "Late Night Liddo
Buffets" start at 11:00PM and generally run out of food at 11:25 or
so.

Each evening one line of the Liddo Café is closed to the
public. That line is reserved for the officers and upper level
staff. Apparently they have no food service of their own although a
food service, of far lower quality is provided for the lower level
staff on the lowest deck. Elitism rides again and at the expense of
the passengers.

The 11th floor pool outside the Liddo Café is the
"indoor" pool and two overheated whirlpools, one of which only
partially worked. There are lounge chairs adjacent to the pool and
sitting areas with small table along the outside walls. A selling
point for this pool is that it has a retractable dome cover, 98% of
the time the "cover" was open and because of that and a lack of
cross ventilation, and non-opening windows, this area becomes
unbearably hot. The pool and whirl pools have no shade whatsoever.
If you are out in the open, you will literally fry!

Shade should be provided in some form, perhaps a cabana over the
whirlpools and part of the pool. Or close the retractable cover
partially. They refused to do this. Ventilation is very poor and
side windows should installed that can be opened. Incidentally they
DID close these pools down on day 10 and 11 for "maintenance. This
should be done in Dry Dock. The passengers were not happy
campers.

For avid sun worshipers there is another outdoor pool with
sitting areas, tables and a bar. There is very little of any shade
here.

The Pool hamburger, pizza, and taco bar. The pizza is cold, the
taco bar appears filled in the morning and the food seldom
refreshed or exchanged any time during the following 10 hours. One
day I asked for some French Fries only to be told they were out. I
was offered "Taiter Tots". I demanded French Fries since this WAS a
hamburger bar but I was told that the cook would have to ask
permission of his supervisor. Ten minutes later I did get my French
Fries. Is this another cost cutting measure or just more evidence
of a stogy and intractable management mentality?

Health Conscious Fare is not a priority with Holland. People who
may be "Health Conscious" will have no real alternative aboard the
Maasdam. Celebrity provides excellent alternate healthy choices but
Holland does not.

Fitness and Recreation. A Spa is located on the 11th floor and
it appears nice. The exercise areas, adjacent to the Spa are fairly
well equipped but the weights on the equipment are not marked and
the "trainers" don't know if it is pounds or kilograms and neither
did I. There is a jogging short track around the upper lever and on
the 6th level is a larger walking track completely around the ship.
Four times around equals a mile.

There is a fairly well stocked library that contains news
papers, books, for rent DVD movies and a large section to
communicate via the Internet.

The main "Rotterdam" dining room is an attractive two level hall
with a staircase to the upper level. Our wait staff, Peter and
Harry were excellent although somewhat forgetful. On the first
night, for an appetizer, both my dinner partner and I requested a
shrimp cocktail. It was not notable but ok. The breads and rolls
served were again dry. Four pads of butter were served. Throughout
the cruise we had to request, time and again, a few more pads. We
do like coffee before and during our meals and we requested that
from our waiter. Sad to say he never could remember to serve coffee
as requested. In general the entrees were limited and not at all
memorable. The desserts were very sugary, the cakes from Duncan
Heinz and the occasional "NEW YORK Cheese Cake" was horrible. We
are food judges and days prior to this cruise judged cook-offs for
"Red Star Yeast", "The Beef producers of North Carolina",
"Pillsbury Piecrusts" (38 entries) and "The North Carolina Egg
Producers" (28 Cheese cakes). The cheese cake on the Maasdam was a
pathetic! Speaking with the haed waiter who communicated with a
chef, who was very defensive and arrogant, and who claimed he made
changes, NEVER improved the product. The chef DOES NOT know a
cheese cake from and apple and he is supposed to be from
Germany!

Incidentally we only had one shrimp cocktail on the 11 days of
menus. I personally like shrimp cocktails and made a special
request, which could not be honored until the next day. After it
was served I requested one for the following day but was told that
the chef said that he did not have any more full sized shrimp on
board. I was upset, as were may other passengers making similar
requests. Other, better supplied, cruise lines do allow special
requests.

The Pinnacle Grill is supposedly the "high class" eatery. They
charge $30.00 per person to dine there. The definition of
"Pinnacle" is a lofty peak perhaps the top and that is how it is
promoted. My wife and I decided to give it a try. It was our 4th
day out. . The restaurant is attractive but not overly done and
basically empty. It is hard to believe that one must setup
reservation days in advance.

The Pinnacle Grill boasts its "Silver Award" beef.
(Silver… that's second place right?) They also have
specialties that include entrees of "Cedar Planked Halibut with
Alaskan King Crab" or "Cedar Planked Shrimp Scampi" and various
beef fillets. I decided on the large beef fillet and my wife chose
the "Cedar Planked Halibut with Alaskan King Crab" only to be told
that "They were out of Cedar planks." We could not believe it! When
I inquired about the number of patrons they have had in the past
days I was told that on day 1 they had 8, day 2 was unknown and day
3 was 18. Well I am sure that this 28 to 40 patrons had not all
ordered Cedar planed dishes. I was told that the ship had supply
problems at Norfolk, however Holland America has been doing this
cruise run for 4 or so years.

Disappointed we ordered the "Monk Fish". What was served was a
thin, slightly burnt. piece of halibut. Monk fish are "skinned,
boneless and shaped like a small beef or pork loin. We again
protested since we eat Monk fish often and this WAS NOT Monk fish.
We were repeatedly "assured" it was. Monk fish is sometimes called
"poor mans lobster" because when broiled has the firm texture of a
lobster. This "fish" flaked and had a tail. My wife was insulted by
this deception. On the desert menu was a glorious chocolate desert
called a "Warm Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake". We each
ordered that. When it arrived, it was burnt, bitter and inedible.
We left it and on our way out, I added my name to the guest list
with this comment… "Horrific", but they probably changed
that to "Terrific". This was one of our absolute worse dining
experiences. A solution for Holland may be to replace the chef. If
you have $60.00 throw away, toss it over board or give the
"Pinnacle Grill" a try.

Accommodations on the Maasdam appear fairly nice but believe me,
looks are very deceiving. The service from my cabin steward, Wayan,
was outstanding. I could not have asked for better service. I'm
sure that true with most all cabin stewards. They were just
fabulous!

The absolute biggest complaint I heard about accommodations was
that a very large number of guests had NO air conditioning
throughout the cruise Some were given table fans, some nothing and
some even got $150.00 in cash credit. People were moving luggage
from room to room almost every day. This was by far the number 1
complaint. This was a major problem throughout the ship. The piano
bar, which was the best entertainment on board, was an oven. The
entertainer Barry Blyth, who was spectacular, had his own personal
fan. People would came in sit a moment and have to leave because of
the heat.

The second biggest complaint was the sanitation system. Sinks
and tubs that mysteriously and ominously gurgle and toilets that DO
NOT work nor consistently flush. I spoke with disgruntled
passengers that said their toilet facilities did not work for 6
days or more and no one on board would fix them! Usually, the
toilet in my room would not flush until after 9:00 AM and then it
took 10 or 12 pushes on the flush button. A terrible combination of
situations.

The third largest complaint was the roughness of our cruise. We
really had no rough weather and the published "Cruise Log" will
verify this, yet this ship rocked like no other I had ever been on.
I later learned that the stabilizers were not "entirely" working
and neither were the engines. The captain, in order not to "overtax
the engines, ordered the stabilizers shut down. In 20 cruises made
on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean this was the most rocky. The crew,
too, was often seasick. The next group of passengers have my
sincere sympathies since repairs do not seem to be forthcoming.

Adding insult to injury, on the last night of this cruise, at
1:30AM, the ship lost ALL electric power for over 20 minutes and
actual propulsion for well over an hour. There absolutely no lights
on the ship on deck or below deck. It was pitch black. The baggage
handlers were trying to load baggage for disembarkation and when
those lights went out people and baggage and handlers came tumbling
down those stairways. We were about 120 miles from shore and shore
lights could be seen but the ship was dead in the water and it
began to significantly list. At about 2:40AM the engines started
and thankfully we were under way. After disembarking and on the
shuttle back to the parking areas, beople on the shuttle said that
the list had been so great that the water in the Liddo decks large
pool poured out and down the stairs to several lower levels. Again
my sincerest sympathies to the next group of passengers. Help IS
NOT on the way!

Entertainment in the "Rembrant" lounge is comprised of singers
and dancers, comedians, a juggler, a woman ventriloquist and a
musical performed by the Indonesian or Philippine crew staff. The
production numbers are good especially "Romance on Broadway", but
the ship rocked so much that we feared someone on stage would be
hurt. The native music and dance performance by the Indonesian or
Philippine labor was interesting. The rest was rather hokey. There
is a Casino offering "Black Jack", Roulette", "Craps" and a large
number of slot machines vary from $.05 to $1.00 contributions.

Shopping on board is available although because the ship is
smaller in size, the number and size of shops is limited. They do
run contests and drawings just about daily but you must be present
to win.

On board there is a movie theatre that actually shows recent
movies. We thought that a movie could not be screwed up to badly
but we were wrong. We were viewing the Da Vinci Code, but half way
through it the captain broke in, the sound turned off so we could
only here him. He proceeded to tell us weather conditions, location
etc. Many people, jeering and disgruntled, left in protest and went
to Customer Relations. Then, just as the captain shut up, the
entertainment director cut in to read us the events for the day. 15
minutes later the movie resumed. Then it stopped entirely, was
rolled far back and restarted. 20 minutes later it was stopped
again to very large and vocal protests and then started again.
Someone should have the awareness to coordinate captain
interruptions and stop and start movies in a coordinated
fashion.

The Piano Bar, although often an oven, is one of the best bits
of entertainment on board. The pianist, Barry Blyth, is
spectacular. He sings well, gains audience participation via sing
alongs and plays very well. People who came and survived the heat
loved him.

The Crows Nest Bar located on the 12th Floor is the major dance
area. The room is surrounded by large windows and is a very nice
for viewing arriving or departing ports. The Crows Nest Bar
features a DJ and recorded music and occasionally, early evening,
there is also a pianist who is fairly good. The wait staff in the
Crows Nest was extraordinary, In particular a waitress named "Daye"
who served us, was extremely nice, super accommodating and just
fabulous. Congratulationd to "Daye" for a job well done!

As stated early on, the passenger population appears to have an
average of about 68+. This being the case, the Crows Nest musical
selections are out of touch with the clientele. The DJ is not
sensitive to this fact and plays "the hustle and 80s and 90s rock
consistently. She said that is what the people have requested. If
so, then why are the passengers not dancing. This demographic grew
up in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s. Their music was not the Hustle,
not Disco but Rock and Roll.

Also it seems that 5 or 6 of the activities staff are forever
present. They arrive early and leave late. Their only function
appears to be drinking, flirting and dancing among themselves. This
includes the DJ. They sometime try to "teach" dances but the Crows
Nest at 10:00PM is not a dance class and once again, they dance
among themselves. Dance classes should occur during scheduled
afternoon activities so that passengers can practice what they
learned later in the evening. I got the perception that each night
they were there to entertain themselves while the real crew was
working diligently elsewhere on the ship. The actions of these
staff people do not look professional and perceptions are
realities.

The Holland Tipping Policy. The Holland standardized tipping
policy states that a gratuity of $10.00 per day per guest will
automatically be added to your shipboard account. They assure
everyone that all gratuities will go to the staff and absolutely
none goes to Holland. It is said that $3.50 goes to the cabin boy,
$3.50 to your waiter and the remaining $3.00 will be distributed
among the cooks, bakers, servers, assistant waiter, cleaning
personnel and whomever else I‘ve missed. If you want to then
give a larger tip to whomever, you can.

It is further stated that if, at the end of your cruise you, you
want to modify this deduction you can at the Customer Relations
Office. Many people do this. They want to tip those who served them
best. They do not want their tips "pooled" and "distributed".
Therefore, at the end of the cruise many passengers line up to fill
out forms to cancel their automatic gratuity deduction. They then
personally give tips to the people who serviced them best.

There is a real problem in this practice. If you cancel your
auto gratuity deduction fully, any tips you give personally may
more than likely end up in the "pool" anyway. Why you ask? Because
they will run a report showing all those that cancelled their
automatic deduction FULLY. Management will then use this list and
query the people who personally served you and, with threats of
firing, require any tips you gave that person to turn it into the
"pool".

A solution may be to reduce the automatic gratuity deduction to
$1.00 a day per guest. Then when they run their report, your name
will not be on it and, in theory, you may reward fully those you
believe are most deserving.

Holland America's automatic daily gratuity deduction is hideous.
This is a disgusting policy! Personally I will never follow it but
it is a moot point since I will never travel on this line again. If
they tell me that if I do not follow their policy, there will be
repercussions on the people that have served me best, then for this
publication, I say I do not tip more than $1.00 a day.